Ecobuild is the “sustainable design, construction and energy event for new build, refurb, commercial and domestic buildings”. It runs in parallel with Resource which is a younger more innovative collaboration between businesses and other organisations about using and reusing resouces sensibly, in innovative and imaginative ways.  Both are being held at Excel in London and display all things sustainable from straw-bale buildings to solar panels, waste collection and electric cars.   This is the annual international showcase with pavilions from around the world including Shenzhen in China, East Europe, Canada and Scotland – a global, competitive and mainstream industry which has come a long way in the past few years.   There is innovation too with stands from organisations such as the Royal College of Art and the Royal Society of Arts.

Taking inspiration from other exhibitions such as 100% Design, the seminar/conference spaces are sponsored by different firms and designed with different themes in mind, an improvement on the anonymous boxes of previous years.

Judging by the number of visitors at the show, sustainable construction is no longer the cult of a few enthusiasts; for many people it is the way of future construction, design and technology and mutual partners in achieving innovative building solutions.